


The first step towards changing the Nightray politics

by AlexZorlok



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Elliot Nightray Lives, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance, well or
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25150783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexZorlok/pseuds/AlexZorlok
Summary: Elliot survived and getting ready to become the new Duke of Nightray, so Leo prepares a gift for him.
Relationships: Leo Baskerville/Elliot Nightray
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	The first step towards changing the Nightray politics

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Первый шаг к изменению политики семейства Найтреев](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/645349) by Некто левый. 



Elliot was closely looking at himself in the mirror. It had only been a little more than half a year since the events at Isla Yura’s, but it felt as if he had aged a few years in this time. Or well, it was the illness that had drained him; in the end, aside from Leo and Vincent, hardly anyone had believed that he would recover from the Humpty-Dumpty scars.

Elliot turned his side towards the mirror. His pale cheeks looked sunken from this angle, as if he had been starving, and it seemed like there were wrinkles in the bags under his eyes. Elliot reached his hand into his hair, wondering whether there was anything he could do to distract people from his face, but a familiar voice from behind his back stopped him.

“You’re beautiful anyway.”

Elliot sighed: he was still so weak after the illness that he hadn’t even heard anyone coming in. Elliot turned around.

Someone closed the door from the other side, evidently, Vincent, while Leo put a small cylindrical box that he was carrying, the kind for containing a lady’s hat, onto the nightstand.

“I look dead.”

Leo put on a sour smile and came closer. Elliot’s illness took a toll on him, too: Leo looked very thin and exhausted. His lips were shut in a thin line.

“I’m very glad you aren’t.”

When Leo came close enough, he fixed the collar of Elliot’s shirt, as if he was still his servant, and not the head of the most mysterious house in Reveil. It took Elliot awhile to realise that since the moment of his injury, he had been surrounded by either doctors, or friends, and it was the first time in that half a year that they stood alone.

Elliot waited for Leo to get his clothes into a seemingly perfect shape before carefully hugging him; moving abruptly still brought him discomfort.

“How’s your injury?” Leo asked, correct with his guess about usually hyper-active Elliot’s slow movements.

“Almost healed, but sometimes it bothers me anyway.”

Leo frowned, concerned.

“If you get tired during the event, just tell me, or Vincent, we’ll find an excuse to let you rest.”

Elliot nodded. Sure, he didn’t want to show his own weaknesses — his young age was already a reason enough for unwanted attention, — but he couldn’t let Leo worry even more than he already did.

Leo smiled, suddenly. Elliot had always known that his servant was beautiful, but now that he got rid off the bangs, and the glasses, he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander across his face, catching on every emotion. Without realizing, Elliot leaned forward; first to take a closer look at the beloved eyes, and then — to touch the soft lips. They were finally alone, after all.

“Well then, the newly-acclaimed Duke of Nightray,” Leon said, with a chuckle, when they settled down on the sofa, so close that their legs were touching, “What goals are you planning to achieve first, now that you’re the head of the family?”

Elliot hummed. All that was left of the family was himself, and maybe some very distant relatives, but that question was probably going to be asked by everyone, now, so he answered in all seriousness:

“First of all, I am planning to make peace with the House of Vessalius. Our rivalry has always been absolutely pointless, and I’m glad that I finally get a chance to stop that. Second of all, together with the House of Baskerville, I am ready to bring back our families’ good names with worthy actions.”

Leo nodded, satisfied.

“Are you considering setting up a marriage with lady Ada Vessalius as a step towards making peace between your families?”

Elliot just about opened his mouth to propose another initially-prepared speech about how he hadn’t been thinking about that, but he noticed how tense Leo looked in anticipation. His question wasn’t a part of the training. Elliot turned a little to better see his face.

“No, Leo, I won’t be marrying lady Ada. I won’t be marrying at all.”

Leo took a deep sigh and let his head fall. If it wasn’t for the new haircut, it would have been impossible to see his face. After a moment of hesitation, he replied:

“Elliot, you’re the last of the Nightrays, you have to continue the lineage.”

“I know, but I can’t imagine myself with a woman.”

“Elliot, you—”

“I know!” Elliot mentally slapped himself for being so impatient — he didn’t want to yell at Leo at all. He huffed loudly, then carried on, calmer this time: “I know. I already have plans for that.”

Leo straightened his back and raised an eyebrow in question, looking at Elliot with curiosity.

“Vincent loves lady Ada a lot. Sure, he’s more Baskerville than a Nightray right now, but if he does decide on marrying her, they both will be happy, and one of their children might be the next head of the Nightray House.”

Leo took a minute to think that through before replying:

“Have you figured out how to convince Vincent that lady Ada will be much happier to spend the rest of her, although shorter, life with him than any other man, the one she doesn’t love?”

Elliot bit his lip; he hadn’t thought about that yet. Leo shook his head, but Elliot noticed that he was seemingly more relaxed. Then, Leo got up abruptly. Elliot hurried to grab his hand.

“Don’t go, let’s sit here for a little longer, please.”

Leo looked at him with surprise, then smiled slightly.

“I’m not going anywhere. I just have a gift for you.”

It was Elliot’s turn to raise his eyebrows. Leo walked to the nightstand and took the box he had brought with him. Elliot forgot about it, and anyway, it didn’t look that important. When Leo returned to the sofa, Elliot noticed that there were small holes in the lid.

“Dear Duke of Nightray,” Leo started, in an official tone, but it didn’t stick, so he burst out laughing instead.

Elliot smiled, too. Even though Leo had become the head of the Baskervilles, it changed nothing on the inside, which Elliot was very glad about. At least, there was a part (the most important one, at that) of his usual world that had stayed the same through everything. Leo calmed himself down and carried on:

“I wanted to make a long speech about how making peace between two families is a hard and serious business, which will take lots of small steps, but… Truth be told, I just know that you’ve always hated the ‘cats are for Vessalius, and dogs are for Nightray’ principle.”

Leo handed him the box.

Elliot took it from him very carefully, already getting a hint of what, or, better said, who, Leo brought for him.

A black kitten was sleeping in the bottom of it.

Elliot froze, unbelieving. Nightrays love dogs. That was the saying hammered into his head like another commandment, and yet he couldn’t help but pet lady Ada’s cats in secret, when nobody could see.

“You can tell everyone that getting rid off that strange principle is the first step towards changing the Nightray politics.” Leo said, lowering his chin onto Elliot’s shoulder.

Elliot cautiously touched the thick furr.

The kitten, now awoken, stretched and opened its yellow eyes.

“It… yawned…” Elliot said, like in a trance, and Leo burst out laughing.

“It did. But if you call me over to look at its every step, I’ll kick you.”

Holding the box in his knees like a treasure, Elliot hugged his other treasure, the one sitting next to him, and gave him a kiss.

There was a polite knock on the door.

“It is time. Today you will be introduced into the world as the new Duke of Nightray.” Leo said, quietly.

Elliot nodded, his eyes still not leaving the kitten, and then he replied, refusing to leave their previous conversation without a conclusion:

“We’ll be together, Leo. And don’t anyone dare say anything about that to two of the great dukes.”


End file.
